Waterland Private Equity is considering selling AI consultancy firm Xebia. The deal could value the Dutch company at least €1 billion. Waterland is working with Houlihan Lokey on the potential transaction.
This is according to Bloomberg, based on sources. Private equity firm Waterland is preparing for a possible sale of Xebia. Investment bank Houlihan Lokey has reportedly been called in to advise on the transaction. However, the talks are still at an early stage. Waterland may also decide to keep the company in its portfolio for longer.
Waterland acquired Xebia in 2020. With the AI market experiencing explosive growth, a sale of Xebia could yield significant profits. Xebia recently launched new AI solutions, including AI-native software engineering and agentic AI assistants that have delivered measurable results for customers.
International growth and strategic partnerships
Founded in 2001, Xebia has grown into a global company with more than 5,500 employees spread across 28 offices. The company offers consulting and software development services in AI, cloud, and data. Strategic partnerships with major tech players such as Google Cloud, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Salesforce strengthen its position.
Xebia profiles itself as an AI-first consultancy with success stories at enterprises in financial services, healthcare, and aviation. At an airline, AI camera images reduced gate times by 30 percent. A bank improved its chatbot solutions by 20 percent through Xebia’s AI implementations.
Founded in 1999, Waterland has made more than 1,200 investments and manages funds worth billions of euros. The fund focuses on buy-and-build strategies to help companies grow.